Wire cutter



Patented June 12A, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a wire cutter of the pliers type constructed for cutting wire at the outer ends of the jaws of the cutter and with the cutter disposed substantially parallel to the wire being cut. Y

A particular advantage of the invention is that it provides a wire cutter capable of operating in otherwise inaccessible spaces for cutting wire as for example in the repair of radios where the available space adjacent a wire to be cut is too small to accommodate a conventional type of wire cutter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire cutter having means for engaging and guiding the wire into a position to be cut.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view showing the wire cutter in an open position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged end elevational view looking from left to right of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated Iby the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 2 showing the cutter engaging a wire to be cut.

The novel wire cutter, designated generally 5 and comprising the invention, constitutes a pliers type tool of the long nose type including a pair of corresponding elongated handles 6 and 'I constituting corresponding ends of a pair of levers the opposite ends of which form elongated jaws 8 and 9, respectively. The handles and jaws of the two levers are disposed in cross relationship between said parts as is conventional in pliers and said crossed or hub portions are pivotally connected by a rivet or other pivot I0. The construction of the parts 6 to I0, inclusive is conventional in the long nose type pliers the design of which particularly adapts itself for use as a part of the wire cutters 5. The outer end of the jaw 8 is cut on an angle to the axis of said jaw and so as to form an acute angle with the inner face of said jaw and the edge defining the apex of said angle is sharpened to form the cutting edge II of the wire cutter. The other jaw 9 is slightly elongated with respect to the jaw 8 and is provided with an inwardly turned terminal portion I2 the outer side of which is rounded and converges with the inner side of said extension I2. The extension I2 is provided with a substantially V-shaped notch I3 forming a wire guide and the rounded outer side of said extension extends likewise into said notch I3, as best seen in Figure 3 at I 4, to form a V-shaped edge at the inner side of said extension and which is disposed for movement across the cutting edge I I.

The cutters 5 may be engaged by the handles 6 and 'I and held in an open position as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and when sodisposed it will be readily apparent that the jaws 8 and 9 are capable of being inserted into a relatively restricted space for engagement with a wire to be cut. With the jaws 8 and 9 thus disposed in an open position, the cutters 5 are manipulatable to engage the wire at the place to be cut in the notch I3. By a squeezing action the handles 6 and 1 are moved toward one another to likewise move the jaws 8 and 9 toward closed positions 'and so that the wire I5, as illustrated in Figure 4, guided in the notch I3 will be brought into engagement with the cutting edge II so that further movement of the jaws 8 and 9 toward one another will cut off the wire. It will thus be readily apparent that a wire cutter has been provided which is adapted to be disposed substantially parallel to a strand of wire to be cut thus providing an end type cutter which, due to its construction and disposition with respect to the wire being cut is capable of operating in a much more limited space than a conventional wire cutter.

Various modications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

rI claim as my invention:

1. An end type wire cutter comprising a pliers type tool having long nose jaws provided with adjacent surfaces forming faces, the outer end of the face of one of said jaws being sharpened to provide a transversely disposed cutting edge, the other jaw being elongated to extend beyond said cutting edge and having an inturned extension provided with an outwardly opening wire engaging notch adapted to engage a portion of a strand of wire for guiding it into engagement with said cutting edge as the jaws are moved toward closed positions, the outer end of said first mentioned jaw being disposed at an acute angle to its inner face to form said cutting edge.

2. An end type wire cutter comprising a pliers type tool having long nose jaws provided with adjacent surfaces forming faces, the outer end of the face of one of said jaws being sharpened to provide a transversely disposed cutting edge, the other jaw being elongated to extend beyond said cutting edge and having an inturned extension provided with an outwardly opening wire engaging notch adapted to engage a portion of a strand of wire for guiding it into engagement with said cutting edge as the jaws are moved toward closed positions, said notch being V-shaped and the outer side of said extension being rounded adjacent the notch.

ALBERT L. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this pat-ent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 496,407 Goldman May 2, 1893 1,592,142 Laubscher July '13, 1926 

